Benin singer Angelique Kidjo won the 2023 Polar Music Prize, one of Europe’s top music prizes

Benin singer Angelique Kidjo won the 2023 Polar Music Prize, one of Europe’s top music prizes on Tuesday along with Britain’s Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, and Estonian composer Arvo Part.

The five-times Grammy winner, described by the organisers of Sweden’s Polar Music Prize as “one of the greatest singer-songwriters in international music”, sings in native Fon and Yoruba languages as well as in French and English.

Dubbed “Africa’s premier diva” by Time magazine, she is best known for her hits “Agolo” and “We We”.

Blackwell founded the Island Records label in Jamaica that went on to sign such legendary stars as Bob Marley, Cat Stevens, Roxy Music and U2.